How cold has it been lately? The beast from the east has been more beastly than expected and storm Emma hasn’t exactly done us any favours bringing with her even more flurries of snow. When it’s this cold, the last thing you think about is recycling, waste reduction and waste collections, all you want to do is stay warm and hibernate at home! We still have our responsibilities though, and you can dispose of waste carefully no matter what the weather is doing by considering this.

Check bin collection dates

In adverse weather conditions, local authorities might have to change their regular bin collection days, especially if snow blocks specific routes and they can’t make collections for safety purposes. Look for updates online to see if your household is likely to be affected. This way you can be forewarned and ready to take your bin out on the new proposed date.

Double-bag food waste

If it looks like it’s going to be a while before your bins will be collected, double-bag food waste, nappies and items that will perish quicker, and let cooking fats cool before pouring them into plastic bottles with lids, ready to be recycled when the weather warms up a bit.

Store bottles in your garage

Anything you would normally take to the household recycling centre can be stored inside your garage, shed or basement until the roads are clear and safe to use once more. Don’t make unnecessary journeys in wintry conditions, a few jars or some cardboard boxes can certainly wait to be recycled until the weather is a little more favourable.

Keep the path to your bin clear

Make sure you’re ready to react if you discover your bins are going to be collected at short notice, and keep the path to them nice and clear, so you can wheel them out without any danger of slipping or falling. Use a snow shovel to clear a path, and put down rock salt if necessary to make access easy and slip-free.

Even in the most extreme conditions we can still think about waste and how we can dispose of this safely. For more details about the waste collection services we provide here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions, please contact us today or call us on 0161 430 1111.

One of the biggest services we provide here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions is the collection of waste oil and hazardous materials from businesses right across the UK. However, that doesn’t stop up from being concerned about waste material in general, and one of the areas where we are all guilty of being careless is in the home setting, where we throw away items that could be used for other purposes.

Kitchen and garden waste, in particular, can have other uses, and if you decide to compost certain things they will turn into a rich type of soil and you can use this as a fertiliser. That being the case, here’s a list of the items you can compost today that will become a nutrient-enriched soil in the future.

Kitchen scraps

There’s a whole host of kitchen waste which is suitable for composting. Hang fire before you throw the following in the bin, it can definitely be used for compost.

Orange peel

Apple cores

Banana skins

Tea bags

Coffee granules

Vegetable scraps

Eggshells

Garden debris

As well as the kitchen, the garden also has plenty of items to offer the compost heap and they can include unwanted waste products such as:

Rotting leaves

Brambles and privet trimmings

Grass cuttings

Dying flowers

Fauna and flora in its final flourishes

Of course, this is just a small list of the items you can add to a new compost heap and if you are seriously into recycling and want to reduce the amount of waste your home produces, this is the ideal way to make use of unwanted goods that would normally be thrown into the bin.

And the best bit about creating your own compost heap is you will produce lots of lovely soil which you can use as a fertiliser for your flower beds.

As one of the leading experts for waste oil and hazardous waste collections in the UK, we know a thing or two about this subject here at PCWS. If you are looking for a professional waste management service, don’t hesitate to contact us here today or call us on 0161 430 1111.

Going green can feel a little overpowering, to begin with, but there are very simple measures you can take to become more environmentally friendly and live a greener lifestyle. Basic changes are all that is required to change your habits, and you might want to try the following to start the ball rolling.

Cancel newspapers

Do you have newspapers or magazines delivered to your door? If so, have you considered reading these online to prevent the build-up of waste paper? Sure, you can recycle newspapers and magazines, but you are still creating a paper trail when there really is no need. Start reading online and you’ll instantly prevent this problem.

Try carpooling

Make enquiries at work to find out if anybody is interested in joining a carpooling scheme. You can all contribute to fund the cost of travel to and from work and make the journey together sharing one car. This is obviously better for the environment, and it also prevents you driving into work separately, which is a waste of fuel and has a negative impact on the climate.

Purchase e-tickets

When you buy tickets for the cinema, flights etc, make sure you select the e-ticket option which eliminates a paper trail straight away. If you don’t need to print a ticket and can use an electronic version instead, you reduce paper waste and add another notch on your eco-friendly belt.

Opt for paperless statements

Instead of receiving bank statements, visa statements and monthly updates from catalogue stores through the post, ask for this information to be sent to you electronically instead. Make sure your internet security is up-to-date and get rid of printed statements which you’ll only have to shred to dispose of safely anyway.

Combine Trips

If you need to pop to the supermarket to do a food shop, could you combine this journey with a trip to the recycling centre or maybe take your clothes to the dry cleaners en-route? Complete multiple tasks in one journey and this will save time and fuel, which is obviously kinder to the environment.

Make subtle changes to your daily routine and it’s amazing how quickly you can adopt a new greener lifestyle. As an expert waste disposal and collection service, we understand how important it is to be as environmentally friendly as possible here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd, and offer professional and reliable solutions for clients in many industry sectors.

Find out more about the services we have to offer you and contact us today or call us on 0161 430 1111

It’s that time of the year again folks, and as we head into the full-on madness of Christmas, spare a thought for all that excess waste you are going to produce over the next few weeks. From present packaging to ripped-up gift wrap, leftover turkey and snapped crackers, it’s the season where the household waste output goes through the roof, but there are steps you can take to lessen the impact.

Without sounding all Grinch-like, there is a serious impact on this excess of waste we produce each Christmas, and the cost of this environmental excess is astronomical. However, it doesn’t have to be this way, and there are positive steps you can take to reduce the abundance of waste you produce over Christmas and the New Year.

Be realistic with your food shop

Whilst it’s nice to splurge a bit at Christmas, and buy food in abundance, do you really need such a big shop? Carefully plan your meals over the festive period, and give plenty of consideration to how much you are actually going to consume. Think back to last year when you had to throw those mince pies away in January. Could you prevent this from happening by trimming back a little this year?

Cut back on food waste

It’s very easy to over-buy food at Christmas, and it’s just as easy not to eat the food you buy, which means you’ll end up throwing this away. Prevent this from happening by thinking of ways you can use up leftovers, or plan to leave some room in the freezer, so you can safely freeze anything once it reaches its use-by date. It can actually be fun to think of creative recipe ideas to use with leftover turkey.

Wrap like a pro

How much paper do you waste when you are wrapping presents? Measure the gift and only use enough gift wrap to cover the item. Think about packaging when you are buying presents too. Can you shop for loose items maybe, or buy items that come in paper packages to save on space in a waste bin.

Spare a little thought for the environment this Christmas and do your best to cut back on waste where possible. We’re really looking forward to the festivities here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions and want to wish you a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year!

It’s remarkable to think that in our modern society, people are still unclear about what is classified as hazardous waste. Take the workplace for example, there are countless examples where waste is thrown away in general bins, but shouldn’t be because it is actually tagged as hazardous. To give you some idea, we list typical examples of hazardous materials found in workplaces which people wrongly assume are general waste.

Batteries

Do you use batteries for electronic devices at work? What do you do with these once they are depleted? If you toss them away in the office bin you are committing a sin, they are hazardous and should be recycled appropriately through approved battery collection schemes.

Ink and Printer Cartridges

Never throw a printer ink cartridge into an office bin as this also has to be recycled. There are plenty of ink cartridge companies that will recycle them for you so there’s no effort required on your behalf. Keep it simple, and get rid of hazardous ink cartridges the responsible way.

Power Adaptors

Are you updating office equipment and do you have old cables and power adaptors you want to get rid of? Sure, it’s tempting to dump these in the large waste bin sat outside in your car park, but hang fire for a minute as these are actually hazardous. Power adaptors should be recycled responsibly with other items of waste hazards.

USB Sticks

Every office has them, but did you know USB sticks are also listed as hazardous and need to be disposed of in an ethical manner? Flash drives can be recycled for good causes, and companies that are aware of their carbon footprint often recycle such products, which are then turned into new goods.

Glues and Adhesives

Sticky products such as glues and adhesives are other items that often find their way into the general waste bin when they shouldn’t. They can be harmful to humans, so are classified as hazardous waste and need to be disposed of carefully using approved methods.

If you are wondering what is classified as hazardous waste at work, read this guide from the Environment Agency. Should you require a waste collection from your workplace, you can contact us here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions or call us today to arrange a pick-up on 0161 430 1111.

We’re all guilty of being wasteful with household goods. Whether you can’t be bothered squeezing the last splodge of toothpaste from the bottom of the tube, or use more toilet tissue than you need to when you spend a penny, waste is created in a number of ways. Disposing of domestic waste is pretty straightforward. In most instances, you simply recycle it in the right containers at home ready to be collected on bin day.

When it comes to hazardous waste, it’s a different story. This type of waste has to be disposed of in a responsible manner. If you fail to do this, there could be severe penalties.

Tons of hazardous waste is produced around the world each year. As human beings, we have a growing responsibility to carefully dispose of these toxic items. To make you aware of hazardous waste, and how this can be harmful to you, we reveal a few facts.

What is hazardous waste?

Waste classified as hazardous or toxic is anything that can be harmful to either the environment or to any living thing it comes into contact with. Most of this waste is man-made and produced by manufacturing plants, including many household products you will find in any domestic abode. Take a look at home and you will find plenty of detergents, oils and potentially hazardous products that could be harmful to the environment. They are usually found under the kitchen sink, in basements, sheds or garages, and could be toxic if they are not disposed of properly.

How is this dangerous?

Many types of toxic wastes exist which are damaging to the health of living beings and to the environment in a number of ways. Some of this waste is flammable, and can easily combust, so it needs to be stored, handled and disposed of accordingly. Other types of waste are corrosive with acid bases, and there are also reactive types of wastes that can explode if they come into contact with heat or mixed with water, with serious consequences. Plus a number of toxic wastes release noxious gases into the atmosphere and can be unstable in all types of conditions. Rather worryingly, a high number of hazardous waste types create serious health problems if they are inhaled, ingested, or touched by the skin, so great care should be taken when handling these types of substances. In all instances, this waste has to be disposed of correctly.

What types are there?

There are many instances of toxic waste, many of which can be found in the average family home. This could be something as simple as motor oil stored in a garage, or tins of paint kept in a basement. Classic types of household waste include:

Tins of Paint

Cleaning Fluids

Thinners and Solvents

Used Aerosols

Car Batteries and Motor Oil

Gardening Supplies Such as Pesticides

Fluorescent Bulbs

All of this waste should be disposed of in the proper way and recycled or processed correctly by expert collection agencies who work closely with hazardous waste disposal centres.

This is the type of service we provide here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd. Our highly experienced hazardous waste disposal service helps our customers stay compliant with all the latest environmental legislation. Please contact us for more details and to arrange a toxic waste collection, or call us on 0161 430 1111.

If you feel queasy at the sight of congealed fat this blog probably isn’t for you. Waste fat forms a white greasy barrier when it starts to cool and this can be a huge problem for drains. Pouring used waste oil, fat or grease down the drain causes the problem. As is slowly cools it starts to condense and this can cause blockages in pipes and drains.

In London recently this took on a whole new level as a monster fatberg was discovered in the sewerage system beneath Whitechapel early in September. This was no ordinary sewer blockage. To put this in some type of physical context, the ‘berg’ equalled the weight of 11 double-decker buses at an estimated 130 tonnes and was the same length as two football pitches. Yuk!

What is a fatberg?

Nicknamed a fatberg, this physical monstrosity is a mixture of congealed fat, nappies and wet wipes that have been flushed down toilets and poured down drains by local residents and businesses. Mixed together, it forms the worst type of blockage you can ever imagine, and it’s threatening to force raw sewage all over the streets of London.

What measures are being taken?

Thames Water is hard at work during the evenings and at weekends gradually removing the hideous fatberg. Work has to be completed during these hours due to the street and road above the blockage being full of tourists and delivery vehicles during weekdays.

It’s not all bad news!

The good news is once the disgusting fat has been removed from the sewer it can be processed at a recycling plant and turned into biodiesel. It’s a horrific job but at least something positive can come out of the whole sorry saga.

How could this have been prevented?

The most obvious way of preventing this type of incident from happing in the first place is to not pour oil, grease or fat down drains and never flush nappies or wipes down the toilet. At home, you can collect waste oil and take it local recycling centres, or as a business, you can have this waste collected by a provider of waste service solutions.

We specialise in the collection of hazardous waste here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd. If you need a waste management service in Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds, please contact us today or call to speak to us on 0161 430 1111.

Have you ever wondered why it’s so important to recycle your car battery and find it hard to understand why you can’t just throw it in a skip? If we told you here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd that every car battery can be totally recycled to create a new battery, this might just make you think again. Recycling all items is important, and here we explain the significance of battery recycling, and why it’s so vital to the environment.

The reasons we recycle

Recycling is an important process that helps to keep our environment safe. By converting used materials they can be reused again, thus reducing waste, and cutting down on the amount of content that goes to landfill. By recycling any product, and that includes car batteries, you eliminate the need for new materials and reduce the environmental impact that is commonly associated with hazardous waste materials.

How does battery recycling help

Recycling car batteries can help to produce new batteries from used materials and this is much kinder to our planet. It can also reduce the costs involved in the production of new batteries by recycling raw materials and is also a practical and sensible solution to reduce the impact of waste.

Can all parts of car batteries be recycled?

Yes, they can, and each individual part can then be re-used in the production of other batteries. The outer casing on the battery is broken up and converted into plastic pallets which can then be used for new covers. The lead in battery terminals can also be melted down and turned into ingots which can then be used for new terminals and battery grids. Plus the battery acid can also be recycled and converted into sodium sulphate, a material used in a wide range of other products.

Recycling helps to reduce the impact of battery dumping where units are improperly discarded, and as a consequence, become hazardous waste. We can prevent this here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd. Using our fleet of ADR approved vehicles, our highly trained operatives will collect vehicle batteries ready for recycling, and bring them back to our licensed site in Stockport. Please contact us for more details or call 0161 430 1111 today.

Car body shops are busy places so it’s little wonder they create a large amount of hazardous waste. One of the biggest problems for owners of such properties is disposing of this waste – it’s often difficult to establish what is hazardous, and what is classified as normal material.

To clear up any doubt, we list the different types of hazardous waste found in vehicle paint shops here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions. If you produce any of these, call us and we’ll come and collect them for you.

Solvents and Solvent-Paint Waste

Any solvent or paint mixed with solvents is classified as hazardous waste due to it being toxic and flammable. Obviously, if you run a car body shop you are going to use large quantities of both, so they have to be collected and disposed of in a responsible manner.

Coatings Including Base and Top Coats

Body shops get through many litres of paint and any leftover basecoats, primers or top coats should be classified as hazardous. When you have used tins or spent filters containing samples of paint, treat them as hazardous and take appropriate action to dispose of them.

Wipes and Used Paint Rags

Dirty rags covered in paint or absorbed with solvents will be toxic and are sure to be flammable, so consider them to be hazardous too. Use rags to clean surfaces or wipe down paint equipment and it’s best to be safe, have them collected by a hazardous waste company.

Used Containers

Paint mix cups and the like should also be classified as toxic, especially if they have the remains of paint inside them and you want to dispose of them sensibly. Store them safely and arrange to have them collected with your other hazardous waste materials.

Chemical Paint Strippers and Thinners

Both toxic and flammable, waste chemical paint strippers should be collected by a hazardous waste service, under no circumstances should they be treated as general waste. These are typical of the types of waste we collect from car body shops here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd; we’re highly experienced at hazardous waste disposal.

Run a car body shop and we can collect any hazardous waste you might produce. Simply contact us for more details or call 0161 430 1111 today.

Parts washers are used for the safe removal of dirt, grime and contaminants such as burnt-on carbon deposits from a range of equipment and tools. If you have dirty apparatus or parts you want to give a detailed clean, a washer can be the best cleaning method, delivering extremely good results. Parts washers are beneficial for so many reasons and here we list their advantages at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd.

Simple but effective cleaning

Using a manual parts washer is a very simple but hugely beneficial process. Most mechanical parts can be comprehensively cleaned inside a washer and the results of using this type of system are very impressive. Grease, oil and paint can be washed away from the surface area of parts leaving you with materials that look like new.

Quick and powerful results

Parts washers are powerful solutions to help you in the fight against grime. Even the most stubborn contaminants are removed from parts using this safe but highly effective method. The cleaning power of a parts washer is very impressive. It effectively breaks down grease in front of your eyes with the minimum amount of effort.

Great cost savings

Cleaning vehicle parts can save you money in the long run. By removing parts and cleaning them you make significant cost savings by not having to buy new materials. A parts washer is useful if you want to prolong the life of parts as well. Clean them and this helps to prevent vehicle breakdowns in the future saving you unnecessary repair costs.

Suitable for all kinds of materials

You can clean all types of materials with a parts washer. As well as metal, it’s safe to use this type of washer on plastics, rubber or ceramics, plus other types of supplies. This means you can safely and effectively clean a diverse range of materials quickly, and to the highest possible standards, with a simple to use parts washer.

Ever thought about what happens to the waste oil after your car is serviced? Do you give any thought to where the oil filter goes, or what might happen to waste vegetable oils after a restaurant or fast-food chain no longer requires it?

We’re busy here at Pure Waste Clean Solutions, collecting many different types of waste oils and waste oil filters from numerous clients in a variety of industries. Sadly, for all of the waste oil we collect and all the good this does, you can guarantee there will be plenty of businesses that do not dispose of their hazardous waste in the right way, which has a detrimental impact on the environment.

If only they stopped for a minute to think about the consequences of their actions, this could be a different story. There are genuine alternatives to dumping waste oil, and not disposing of this waste in a responsible manner can lead to the following implications.

Destruction of Ecosystems

Dumping waste down drains, sewers or directly into ponds and rivers has an immediate impact on wildlife and the environment. Ducks, swans and other waterfowl can be seriously injured if they come into contact with oil, especially if their feathers are contaminated by the substance. Once oil covers a bird’s feathers they lose the capability to insulate themselves and this can result in them freezing, quite often to death. Damage to internal organs is also common where wildlife has ingested oil. This can affect fish, frogs and any type of species that comes into contact with oil that has been dumped in ponds and other stretches of water.

Damage to Drains

Oil is quite often dumped directly into outside drains and this has a negative impact on sewer and drainage systems. Take cooking oil for example. Once this congeals, and starts to thicken, it can form a waxy life substance which clogs and blocks drains resulting in them overflowing. Not only is this disruptive for other people, it can be costly to repair, especially where pipes need to be unblocked by professional drainage companies. Unfortunately not every business owner thinks of this when they are dumping waste oil from their food outlet.

Soil Pollution

Used oil contains a cocktail of hazardous materials which could be damaging to humans, plants and animals. Waste oil dumped directly into the soil is made up of all types of contaminants including benzene, lead, chromium, arsenic and dioxins. All of these are harmful and could lead to negative health effects so under no circumstances should waste oil be dumped on landfill, waste ground or any stretch of land.

Recycle Waste Oil Instead

It seems madness that people take the lazy approach to getting rid of waste oil when there is such a simple solution that is much better for the environment. Have it collected instead by a licensed hazardous waste carrier, and let them take it away ready for it to be recycled and made into clean oil. This is the best solution for everybody and prevents damage to the environment and our ecosystem.

Here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions, we provide waste oil collections from our base in Stockport and provide a comprehensive recycling or hazardous waste disposal, with a full waste audit trail.

Please contact us today for more information or call to arrange a waste oil collection on 0161 430 1111.

Run a busy garage or car bodyshop service and you will generate a huge amount of hazardous waste with very little effort on a regular basis. Due to the nature of the business, and the services you provide, it would be unavoidable not to produce a degree of hazardous waste, which could have a detrimental impact on the overall efficiency of your business if left unattended.

Whilst it’s unavoidable to generate waste in garages and bodyshops, the important thing to remember is how you deal with this accumulation of unwanted by-products. We can help you in this instance, by reducing the amount of waste that you hold, and by doing this, we will enable you to reduce hazards around your workshop or bodyshop centre.

Take a proactive approach to waste management by having your hazardous materials collected and disposed of by an approved waste carrier such as us here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd. We collect all types of waste materials from car service garages and car bodyshops and dispose of them using safe, approved methods, recycling as many materials as possible.

We collect and dispose of all workshop waste

Collecting waste from all types of businesses in the motor vehicle industry, typical examples of the types of materials we collect include all of the following items:

Waste Oil

Waste Oil Filters

Batteries

Contaminated Fuels

Waste Tyres

Soiled Rags

Solvents

Anti- Freeze

Waste Aerosols

Plastic Bumpers

Waste Paint Tins

Waste Brake Fluid

Safe and effective waste collections

Garage waste can be collected easily by our trained operatives here at PCWS, we have an up-to-date waste carriers licence and are ISO 9001 and 14001 accredited for your peace of mind. If you are worried about the build-up of waste at your garage, or you simply want to implement new methods of working and want to have your waste collected and disposed of safely, we can help.

For more details about any of our hazardous waste and waste oil collection services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today and leave your enquiry, or call us on 0161 430 1111.

Isn’t it nice to relax and unwind with a cheeky takeaway at the weekend? After working hard all week it’s a pleasure to pick up the phone or order food online and not have to worry about cooking. Whether your passion is for pizza, you crave a curry, or can’t wait to get stuck into a special mixed kebab, think carefully how you recycle after a takeaway meal.

Takeaway cartons

One thing you are going to have plenty of after consuming a takeaway is the cartons and packaging the food came in. This might include plastic trays, cardboard lids, polystyrene containers and greasy paper bags. All of the cardboard and paper can easily be recycled, as can the plastic containers and their lids. Remember to wash anything that is physically possible to wash before you pop it into the recycling bin.

Beer bottles and wine bottles

Have a takeaway and there’s a chance you’ll also want to down a beer or have a glass of wine (or two). Once the bottle is empty, rinse it out and put it in your glass recycling bin, or take the empties to your local recycling centre if you get the chance. You could stockpile a few empties in your garage but be prepared to do the walk of shame when you dispose of them at your household recycling centre.

Bottle tops

Beer bottle tops can easily be recycled, just wash the bottles clean, rinse the tops in soapy water and push them back onto the bottle. Most recycling centres have mixed bins for glass and metal tins, so it’s perfectly acceptable to dispose and recycle of glass bottle tops in this manner and you’ll be doing your bit as a responsible recycler.

Food waste

There’s always the temptation to over-order food when you call your favourite takeaway. Shock, horror, if you have any food left over that is going to waste, remember to dispose of this in accordance with your local authority’s recycling policy. Many ask you to place food waste in a separate bin, lined with a biodegradable bag. When the bag is full of food waste, you simply take it out of the bin and place it inside the green waste bin the council has provided you with.

By all means, enjoy a delicious takeaway meal at the weekend or whenever you feel like a treat, just make sure you recycle carefully afterward.

If you have concerns about waste management, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd, we specialise in the collection and disposal of hazardous waste right across the UK.

Spray guns are commonly used in auto repair shops for repainting bodywork and adding clear coats of paint. Applying particles directly onto surface areas, spray guns operate through gravity fed or suction fed systems to produce a flat and flawless finish. Carefully maintain spray guns and it’s very easy to achieve a glass like finish after painting a vehicle. This can be accomplished by hiring spray gun cleaners and automated cleaning machines used in vehicle body shops.

When should gun cleaning take place?

Ideally, spray guns should be cleaned as soon as possible after painting body panels to prevent complications and system fails. Left for too long after use and paint guns can be difficult to clean, especially once the paint has dried. Clean the equipment as soon as you have finished painting and you prevent the risk of problems.

What happens if the gun isn’t cleaned?

Fail to clean the gun properly and this can lead to blocked air ducts which affect the overall performance of the spray gun. Even the tiniest dirt particles will hinder the operating capability of the gun and could even render it useless if paint or dirt is left to accumulate. Detailed cleaning keeps the gun working perfectly and gives you greater confidence when you are spraying panels.

Why is spray gun cleaning important?

Keeping spray equipment clean is important for a number of reasons. You extend the life expectancy of a spray gun if you clean it after use which saves you money in the long run. The performance of the spray equipment is much better if you clean on a regular basis too. Plus there is no gradual build up of dirt when you use a spray gun cleaner regularly.

Have you added screen wash to the water reservoir of your car this winter? If not, don’t worry, there’s still time to top up when you get a moment. It’s advisable to use screen wash during the winter and we’d recommend you keep the windscreen washers topped up with washer fluid throughout the rest of the year as well, as part of your vehicle maintenance.

If you don’t know anything about screen wash, we reveal how important it is to motoring right here, and debunk a few myths at the same time.

Why use screen wash?

Putting it simply, screen wash helps to clean the glass on your car meaning you have a clear, unobstructed view of the road. Regardless of the road conditions, and no matter how much dirt is sprayed onto the windscreen of your car, you can keep it clean and clear with a quick spray of the window washers, especially when the water is mixed with the right quantity of screen wash.

Is it just for winter use?

You can use screen wash throughout the year and we’d strongly recommend this here at PCWS. In the winter it helps to remove dirt and grime sprayed onto the windscreen such as slush, salt and general road debris. In the summer it shifts flies, bugs and foreign matter that splatter unceremoniously against the glass.

Can’t I just use water?

Not really. This will simply freeze in the winter when the temperature starts to plummet leaving you with a sheet of ice spread right across the windscreen. Windscreen reservoir water needs to be mixed with the right amount of screen wash to prevent this from happening.

Won’t washing up liquid do?

This is a common misconception. People wrongly assume that washing up liquid is bubbly and frothy so perfect for cleaning car windscreens. Sadly the froth factor can be too much and cause visibility issues. Plus washing up liquids can leave a nasty film across the glass which smears when the wipers are applied during rainy weather conditions. Use the correct mix of screen wash inside your car’s water reservoir and you’ll be able to keep your windscreen streak-free with an unimpeded view of the road.

Obviously as a hazardous waste, we’d recommend you dispose of unwanted screen wash, antifreeze and similar materials in a safe and sensible way. As an approved waste disposal service, this is something we offer here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions.

Call us to do discuss your waste disposal requirements on 0161 430 1111 and we’d be happy to help!

Well, the festive season is nearly upon once again and that means our production of waste is about to go through the roof. From mountains of gift wrap to countless wine bottles and unwanted present packaging, your household will create a scandalous amount of waste over Christmas and the New Year.

Be proactive with recycling this Christmas and you can minimise the amount of waste that has to go to landfill. Recycle as much unwanted waste as you can and enjoy the festive season knowing you are being responsible as you enjoy the seasonal festivities this year.

Clever ways to recycle this Christmas

Recycle wrapping paper

Instead of throwing wrapping paper away, have you considered using it again in the future? Carefully open gifts by gently peeling the sticky tape back and you can salvage the paper and wrap gifts with it next Christmas. When you consider the cost of expensive wrapping paper it seems a shame to discard it after one use. By salvaging it and saving it for future use, you reduce the amount of waste you create and also save money on gift wrap at Xmas!

Buy a real tree and recycle it

For a truly authentic Christmas consider buying a real tree this year. Whether you choose a Nordman Fir or a Spruce Pine tree, this is going to look wonderful, smell amazing, and make your house fabulously festive. The brilliant thing about real Christmas trees is you can recycle them after the holidays and either have them collected by your local council or take them to your nearest waste recycling centre. Discarded trees are shredded into tiny pieces and the bits left over are used as compost which is then spread over the land.

Take care disposing of batteries

Batteries are one thing you are definitely going to need this Christmas. Lots of them! All those gadgets, games, and electronic gizmos will need powering somehow and most of them will require multiple types of batteries. When the batteries are dead don’t just throw them in the bin. Take them to a recycling centre and look for the special area for battery recycling.

Recycle gift packaging

Christmas gifts come in many shapes and sizes and a large proportion of them are packaged in cardboard boxes or plastic packaging. Make sure you dispose of these carefully by placing them inside the appropriate recycling bin. If you are struggling for space inside your cardboard and plastic recycling bins, save the packaging until your local recycling centre is open after the Christmas holidays and dispose of them here at a later date.

Make use of bottle banks

If you like a festive tipple over Christmas, save your empty alcohol bottles and aluminium drinks cans and take them to your local bottle bank where you can safely recycle them. Many supermarkets have recycling points for bottles, cans and cardboard. You could do a spot of recycling first and then pop to the store to stock up on New Year’s Eve supplies.

Christmas is a time for giving. It’s also a time when we create a large amount of waste. Consider recycling over the festive holidays and be extra responsible with waste disposal during the Xmas break.

From all the team here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions, we would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

At the moment there’s a good chance you can pretty much take what you like to your local recycling centre for free, as long as the items in question adhere to the refuse site rules. This could change in the future though as a growing number of councils are considering charging households for the privilege of disposing of non-domestic waste such as building materials.

Surrey county council have already implemented these types of charges at a number of their recycling centres. They are charging households £4 for a bag of non-household waste and up to £50 for a full car load of loose materials.

Items in question include all of the following but this is by no means a definitive list:

Bricks

Breezeblocks

Building rubble

Soil

Turf

Tiles

Plasterboard

You might have to pay to dispose of waste items

As things stand in Surrey, local residents are only allowed to deposit one bag of what is classed as chargeable waste for free at the sites in question. After this, financial penalties occur, so it’s easy to see how the cost of a tip run could quickly mount up.

You can bet other councils are sure to monitor the progress of events in Surrey to see how successful their ‘pay as you throw’ policy is. The extra revenue created by charging people for disposing of non-household waste at recycling centres will fund other council initiatives, so it could be a lucrative method of supporting existing funding.

Obviously, this creates a number of concerns for the local community from a financial point of view. What’s more, there’s a genuine threat of incidents of fly-tipping increasing if more councils start to follow a similar policy.

Check out The Facilities at your Local Recycling Centre

If you plan on taking waste materials to your local recycling centre it’s a good idea to see what type of waste they accept and if they charge you anything to dispose of specific items.

Most household waste recycling centres will accept the items listed below as standard but it’s best to check just to be sure.

Items you can recycle at most local authority sites include:

Batteries

Aerosol cans

Scrap metals

Gas bottles

Used oil

Fluorescent light tubes

Plastics

Paper and cardboard

Garden waste

Tyres

Timber

Glass

Metal tins

TVs, computer monitors, domestic electric appliances

Textiles and clothing

Fridges and freezers

Call Waste Service Solutions if you are unsure

If you have hazardous waste materials you need to dispose of make things easier and speak to a professional waste management company such as us here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd. We operate a dedicated waste management facility and you can contact us here or call us for help and advice on 0161 430 1111.

Whenever you have a clear out, you’ll undoubtedly find a range of old medicines that you stopped taking before finishing your prescription or expired painkillers. It’s essential that you dispose of your old medicines correctly to prevent pollution of the environment. When you flush your old medication down the drain, you risk causing harmful imbalances in rivers and lakes, damaging the local eco-system. By following these simple and easy pieces of advice, you can safely dispose of your medication.

Don’t buy in bulkJust because it may be cheaper per pill, don’t buy a large bottle of aspirin or other over-the-counter painkillers unless you know you’re going to finish it before the expiration date.

Keep your medications in their original containersThe labels on your medicine bottles will contain essential information about the medication and usually bottles benefit from childproof caps.

Don’t put any medical sharps in the rubbishYou should be given a special box for any used medical sharps you have, and you should never put them in your regular rubbish. Used medical sharps present a public health risk and could cause a lot of damage to any wildlife that encounter it.

Take your unwanted medicines to a pharmacyPharmacies will have the knowledge and facilities to safely dispose of your old medicines in a way that doesn’t put other people or the environment at risk. They will also be able to advise you on what to do with any used medical sharps or used dressings.

If you can’t make it to a pharmacy with your old medicines, there are a few things you can do to minimise the risks of disposing of your medications.

Add vinegar to pills or capsules as a way to partially dissolve them, and in the case of liquid medicines, add salt or safe spices to make them smelly and unappealing. This is will prevent animals mistakenly ingesting them after you’ve thrown them away.

After you’ve made the medication unappealing, tape the medication bottle in duct tape and try to place it in an opaque container, such as an ice cream box. Then put it safely in your rubbish bin, ready for collection.

When you have old household batteries to dispose of, the responsible thing to do with them is to take them to a specified collection point or recycling centre. This is because batteries are classified as hazardous waste, meaning they have a significant impact on the environment and it’s dangerous to throw them out with the rest of your household rubbish.

Many resources go into creating batteries, so you may want to use rechargeable batteries. They produce far less waste than disposable batteries, and are perfect if you’re looking to reduce your carbon footprint.

Even if you decide to use rechargeable batteries, these contain a number of hazardous metals so when you finally do need to dispose of them, you should always take them to a recycling plant or return them to the manufacturer.

Your local council may offer battery recycling schemes, and you will be able to find battery recycling containers in the majority of supermarkets and stores.

The recycling process

Different types of batteries are recycled in different ways, but for common household alkaline batteries (such as AA, AAA, D, C, 9V), a mechanical separation process separates the components into three different products in a special ‘room temperature’ mechanical separation process.

The three products include:

Zinc and manganese concentrate

Steel

Plastic, paper and brass

In order to off-set the cost of recycling the old battery, all of these products will be sold on again and re-enter the market and many batteries are now 100% recycled.

Recycling lithium batteries

If you’re using lithium batteries, these are recycled in a different way. A high speed hammer or shredder is used to expose the contents of the batteries and then submerged in caustic water to neutralise the electrolytes. At the same time, both ferrous and non-ferrous metals are recovered from the water and this scrap metal is sold on to specialist metal recyclers.

The caustic water solution is then filtered, and any carbon recovered is collected and transformed into sheets of moist carbon. The lithium hydroxide in the solution is then turned into technical grade lithium carbonate. This white powder is subsequently used for making foil for batteries, lithium ingot metal and in the production of sulphur dioxide batteries.

For more information and services offered at Pure Clean Waste Solutions, don’t hesitate to call 0161 430 1111 or contact us online today.

Bioremediation uses organisms to either remove or neutralise contamination from waste, rather than any potentially toxic chemicals. For example, waste sites can use organisms such as fungi and bacteria to break down organic matter and decompose the waste. If your business faces an oil spill, bioremediation would provide naturally occurring organisms with materials such as fertiliser and oxygen to help them survive and break down the pollutant at a faster rate.

What makes bioremediation important?

No chemicals are used – Treating or removing waste with synthetic chemicals often means that these chemicals end up in the water supply. Especially in the beginning of waste management, these chemicals were often toxic to animals, plants and even humans so bioremediation ensures you’re not damaging the wider ecosystem.

Waste can be recycled – Once waste has been treated or neutralised by bioremediation, the waste itself can easily be recycled. Using chemical remediation means that you’re simply replacing toxins with slightly less toxic chemicals and the waste still can’t enter the recycling process. You can recycle far more waste using bioremediation techniques.

Different classes of bioremediation

There are two different classes of bioremediation you can use to neutralise you waste. These classes refer to the application of the organisms rather than the types of remediation.

In-Situ – In-situ bioremediation is when you apply organisms to waste right at the point of origin. For example, if you have contaminated soil, in-situ bioremediation would be treating the soil where it is rather than moving it for treatment. You would choose in-situ bioremediation if you wanted to minimise the risk of spreading the contamination via displacing and relocating the soil.

Ex-Situ – Ex-situ bioremediation, therefore, is when you move your waste from the contamination site in order to treat it. You may wish to remove your waste and decontaminate it elsewhere in order to contain and control your bioremediation organisms, as well as quickly making the contaminated area useable again.

At Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd, we can take you through everything you need to know about bioremediation and show you a number of bioremediation products that will decontaminate your waste without the need for any chemicals.

For more information, simply call 0161 430 1111 or contact us online and tell us your requirements.

Even if you are the most waste-friendly household, there’s a really good chance you are throwing items away that could be recycled and made use of again.

Take bathroom products for example. They come in fancy packaging and unless you are totally on the ball, you might just miss a trick and forget to recycle them if you’re not careful.

The next time you pamper yourself in the bathroom, make sure you recycle these items if you want to be a waste-sensitive household.

Bathroom items you can definitely recycle

Shampoo bottles

Most shampoo bottles are made from plastic materials and they are perfectly recyclable. Wash them out to remove all traces of shampoo and pop them into your plastics recycling bin. Don’t toss them away casually into the bathroom bin. Do this and they’ll only end up as landfill.

Toothpaste tubes

Your favourite brand of toothpaste is more than likely contained inside plastic tubing. This is perfectly recyclable so why do you throw it away without giving it a second thought? Be better. Start taking care of plastic tubes and make sure they are deposited in the right recycling container.

Razor packages

Open a new packet of razors and what type of packaging of they come from? Bet it’s a mix of plastic and card. Both of these materials can be recycled and reused for other purposes. Save them and recycle them.

Mouthwash bottles

Minty fresh breath comes at a cost if you don’t dispose of the empty mouthwash bottle in the right way. Rinse, gargle and spit. Once the bottle is empty, make sure you toss it into the plastics recycling bin you have at home.

Medicine bottles

Plastic medicine bottles are totally recyclable too. Once you have emptied them clean them out and add them to your tally of recycling.

Be a better recycler!

Spend more time monitoring the amount of recycling you get through in the bathroom. Should you require reliable waste services, get in touch with us here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd.

Those new to the world of hazardous waste recycling might wonder what all the fuss is about. Surely as long as you choose an experienced waste collection service you have nothing to worry about, they’ll just collect your unwanted refuse and take it away for you. Whilst this is true, it’s not a bad idea to understand some of the advantages of hazardous waste recycling. This will remove any queries or questions you might have about recycling waste materials and help to reinforce the importance of taking this course of action.

What are the advantages of recycling hazardous waste materials?

You safeguard the environment

Dumping hazardous materials in landfill environments has such a damaging effect on the planet. Toxic substances seep into the earth. This can impact local water supplies and the nearby natural environment including wildlife, flora and fauna. By disposing of and recycling hazardous waste materials responsibly you immediately eliminate this problem.

You prevent the need to use raw materials

Recycle hazardous waste and this prevents the need to use other types of material thus cutting down on consumption of said items in general. Not only is it sensible to recycle it can be cost-effective too, you lower production prices which mean you can pass these savings onto the consumer, creating a win-win situation all around.

It’s a great way to reduce fossil fuels

Recycle hazardous waste and this helps to cut down on energy use and burns fewer fossil fuels. The general public is well aware that natural fuels are in a state of decline, anything we can do to reduce energy usage should be warmly received. Recycling plays an important part of this.

This is great for your image

Make your clients aware you like to recycle. This shows you are an environmentally friendly company that takes its position of responsibility seriously. Consumers appreciate greener companies that support the merits of recycling. If you can prove to them you recycle hazardous waste, this can have a positive impact on your business.

Start recycling today!

There’s never been a better time to recycle waste materials. Simply consider the benefits this will offer to you and contact ushere at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd to arrange your waste collection.

How many times have you looked at something, wondered if it could be recycled, then simply threw it in the main waste bin? We all know that glass bottles, paper and card are waste materials which can easily be recycled, but did you know batteries and bras are totally recyclable as well?

There are plenty of products out there that are perfect for recycling purposes many of which end their life in general waste bins. To prove this point, we list a number of items that can be recycled but you might not realise it.

Asthma Inhalers

Did you know you can recycle used asthma inhalers at a select number of pharmacies? Used or unused medicines can be safely disposed of through participating shops and they are collected by recycling and recovery schemes such as GSK in the UK. Instead of throwing unwanted inhalers away, consider recycling them from now on.

Carpet

Think you have to throw old carpet away once it’s become a little threadbare or covered in stains? You could recycle it instead through an approved service like Carpet Recycling UK. This not for profit organisation specialises in reducing carpet waste countrywide, consider this option if you are putting new flooring down this year.

Reading Glasses

If you need glasses for reading it’s recommended you have your eyes tested every couple of years. More often than not you will need a new prescription and that means you are left with old pairs of glasses, which usually get thrown away. Prevent this by recycling them and give them to people in need. Charities such as Vision Aid Overseas collect unwanted glasses and make eye care accessible to disadvantaged people with poor vision.

Cosmetic Products

What do you do with used lippies? Bet they get tossed straight into the bin, but did you know certain cosmetic manufacturers encourage recycling and some give you FREE products if you return a certain amount of empty products to them? Take beauty specialists MAC for example. They will give you a free lipstick in exchange for 6 empty MAC product packages. It’s a great incentive to make you recycle moving forwards.

Think more about recycling!

Be a little more aware when you are dealing with waste in the future, there’s a really good chance it can be recycled in one way or another.

If you rarely consider the importance of brake maintenance then now’s a good a time as any to start. You rely heavily on your vehicle’s braking system but probably don’t realise how vital it is to keep a close eye on the basics of brake servicing.

Most garages use brake cleaning systems like our aqueous brake cleaner to thoroughly cleanse vehicle brake components during system maintenance and overhauls.

Stay on top of brake maintenance and you can drive your car in confidence knowing that when you need to stop, whether this is gradually or quickly in an emergency, your vehicle will come to a rest on command.

Brake parts prone to wear

Brake Discs

Brake Pads

Brake Shoes

Brake Calipers

Most modern vehicles are equipped with brake callipers, brake discs and brake pads. When the driver applies the foot brake, hydraulic calipers gently squeeze the brake pads against the discs, causing friction, and gently slowing the vehicle down. Over time brake pads start to wear. The more the pads are used the more they wear, after a while they reach a lower limit and have to be replaced. If the pads wear too low they can score the discs, which in turn will also have to be replaced.

On some older cars, the braking system consists of wheel drums that are slowed with the application of brake shoes. Just like brake pads, when the brake shoes start to show signs of excessive wear they will need to be replaced before they score the inside of the drums.

Brake pads and discs work in harmony together, if one part fails it can affect the other so good maintenance of both the brake discs and the pads is essential throughout the lifetime of the vehicle.

Brake callipers are generally hardy parts but they can fail with age and show signs of leaking or in the worst case scenario, they can seize. Having the brakes checked as part of routine maintenance should help to highlight any problems and ensure the callipers, pads and discs are still in good condition.

Signs that brake parts are wearing

Nuisance noises – Unusual noises under braking are a good indication that all is not well with the braking system. This could be a squeal or a grinding noise that suggests further investigation is required.

Vibrations – Juddering under braking is another sign that your brakes are in need of a little attention. If you experience steering wheel wobble when you apply the brake this could indicate the disc is scored or warped.

Brake Warning light – If you have a vehicle that is fitted with a brake warning light this will display when there’s an issue with the brakes. If this light illuminates, get your brakes checked as soon as possible.

Loss of brake fluid – In some cases, you might experience a loss of brake fluid which should cause the brake warning light to illuminate on your vehicle’s dashboard. You can try topping up the fluid levels but this is normally an early warning that something isn’t right, again, get your braking system checked over if this happens.

Overheating – When brakes overheat they can start to experience a symptom known as brake fade which dramatically affects their effectiveness and performance.

Make sure your brakes are checked during routine vehicle servicing. If you feel something isn’t quite right when you apply the brakes, have them looked at by a qualified mechanic.

Fuel testing, sampling and analysis are some of the vital services we provide here at PCWS. These are really handy practices that can be extremely useful to help spot signs of fuel contamination, do this early enough and you can prevent serious issues happening to expensive equipment such as vehicles and site generators.

Fail to spot the early warning indicators of fuel contamination and very quickly you can find expensive items of fleet suffering from a range of conditions including all of the following issues:

Diesel Problems caused by contaminated fuel can include:

Blocked and Clogged Filters

Worn and dilapidated Injectors

Total Engine Failure

Corroded Fuel Tanks

Any or all of these symptoms could be a signal of fuel contamination, if you are experiencing these problems on a regular basis and think your main fuel source could be responsible you should get in touch with fuel sampling experts like our team at PCWS.

Water is one of the biggest culprits in cases of fuel contamination, and this can affect fuel in a number of ways. In particular, water is found in fuel in three unique states, it can be dissolved, emulsified or running free

Dissolved water

Water can be found pretty much anywhere so why should diesel oil be any different? When it takes on a dissolved level you will find water molecules present right through the oil, it’s unseen, but gets distributed through the fluid molecule by molecule.

Emulsified water

When water reaches saturation point the fuel mixture then becomes emulsified and suspends on top of the fuel. You can tell when this happens, it creates a cloudy appearance, and you know there’s an issue with the diesel.

Free water

This is one of the most developed stages of contamination and it happens when the water falls out of a state of emulsification and forms into puddles at the base of the fuel tank. Once it reaches this stage further problems are a genuine concern such as diesel bugs or microbial growth.

Have your fuel analysed

Thankfully we can test any type of fuel for contaminant including:

Standard Diesel

Petrol

Red Diesel (Gas Oil)

Bio Fuels

Kerosene

Our fuel analysis is very simple to arrange and we can provide fixed priced packages for your peace of mind, just give us a call at PCWS on 0161 430 1111 to find out how we can be of service to you.

Although it is not law that you HAVE to recycle your used batteries, in 2006 the EU passed a ruling which aimed to have a higher rate across Europe for battery recycling. They stated that by 2012, 25% of all batteries sold must be collected, in the UK by 2012, 32% of batteries were collected.

Battery recycling is on the rise, in this blog post we address some of the key concepts pertaining to this concept.

Why do should you recycle them?

Batteries contain harmful chemicals and metals, by disposing of these in the general garbage they are sent to waste landfill sites. The problem with this is it can lead to water pollution and soil contamination which affects the environment and has an impact on industries such as farming.

Recycling batteries is good for the environment and they are also the most recyclable products in the world. Almost 100% of the recycled battery can be used to make a brand new one, so there’s no wastage, and this has less of an impact on the planet.

Where can I recycle them?

The EU also stated that shops that sold more than 32kg of batteries per year must provide a ‘battery bin’ within their stores. This means you can take your used batteries to the local supermarket and dispose of them there.

There are also businesses that request you send used batteries to their company and they will recycle the batteries themselves. This makes it easier for people that haven’t got a local ‘battery bin’ near them, as they will not have to travel far to recycle!

Other options

One thing you can do instead of purchasing one-time use batteries is to buy rechargeable options instead. Do this, and you will never have to recycle any of your batteries from now on, you could have two sets on the go; so whilst one set is being used, the other set is charging and waiting to be used.

Or, if you really want to avoid buying batteries, thus removing the need to recycle them, buy products that run on electricity, such as radios, and you’ll have nothing to worry about.

Hopefully, the points we have raised in this blog post have made you think about recycling batteries from now on.

There’s a rapidly increasing stream of electronic rubbish, particularly from old computers throughout the UK and the developed world. Low market prices and an exponential advance in technology are rendering staggering numbers of devices obsolete and an astonishing rate. With 20 million PCs being thrown out annually by the USA alone, here’s why you need to ensure your old computers are correctly recycled. Continue reading →

There’s no denying the amount of waste that comes from most offices. Think about the amount of paper you go through, the unwanted egg and cheese sandwiches from those meetings and the un-recycled coke cans that find their way to your personal bin. Continue reading →

Once you’ve enjoyed the festivities of the holidays, you’ll need to throw out your real Christmas tree. Rather than simply throw it out for the bin mean or dump on the curb side. There are a few different options you can take which are environmentally friendly and make your tree useful after you’re done with it. Continue reading →

More than anything, children learn how to act in society from their parents. There are a number of small and easy ways you can adjust your lifestyle in a way that will inspire your children to live a green and sustainable lifestyle. Something as small as picking up a piece of litter and placing it in the correct bin can have a profound effect on the way children see the world and their place in it. Continue reading →

Work place environments are prone to fire hazards, some more than others. If proper care isn’t taken, a fire can quickly become too hot to handle putting lives at risk. Not only this, but it could cost many people a job if their place of work was to burn down.

Here we’re going to outline a few ways in which you can prevent fires in your workplace Continue reading →

Today there has never been a greater emphasis on recycling. Homes across the UK are encouraged to separate their rubbish into different, individually marked bins and commercial enterprises are actively encouraged to operate in an environmentally-conscious capacity. Continue reading →

We would all like to do our bit for the environment. We hear daily about the devastating impact that we’re having on the world around us. But what can we do? How do we make our lives more eco-friendly?

To enable a vehicle to stop safely on a public highway a number of things have to happen.

One is you need a vehicle in good mechanical condition, with brakes that work. The other is you need tyres fitted to the vehicle with plenty of grip, to dispel water away from the road surface. Finally, you need a road surface that’s safe to use, one that is maintained to a high standard and made from good quality media. Continue reading →

For years we’ve been told that cleaning products like bleach are the best way to keep our homes free of germs and dirt and keep our families in good health. The cleaning aisle of your local supermarket is likely stocked full of expensive chemical products that claim to eradicate 99.9% of germs, buff your woodwork to an unnatural shine, and keep your plughole free from limescale.

But how did people keep their homes clean before the days of bleach? Have a rummage around your cupboards and you might just find you’ve got all the cleaning products you need, and not a synthesised chemical in sight!

Non-toxic, natural cleaning products are not only better for our homes, they’re better for the environment too. These six items are all you need to keep your home looking and smelling fresh:

Olive oil – a natural way to polish wood and metalwork

Castile soap – cuts through grease like a charm

Bicarbonate of soda – cleans, deodorises, and brightens

Essential oils – a wonderful way to fragrance your home

Lemon juice – tackles mould, mildew, and grease with ease

Vinegar – gently yet effectively cuts through grease and grime

Most of these products can be mixed together in order to enhance their cleaning capabilities, but some of them such as castile soap and vinegar cancel each other out on the pH scale! Here are a few simple recipes and applications to get you started:

Toilet cleaner

For a heavy-duty toilet scrub that will deodorise as it cleans pour half a cup of bicarbonate of soda and around 10 drops of tea tree oil directly into the toilet, followed by a quarter cup of vinegar. Pop on some rubber gloves and scrub away whilst the mixture fizzes the limescale clean off the toilet bowl.

Bath and shower cleaner

Your bath tub can leave you facing some of the toughest grime around, but vinegar will make easy work of it every time. Mildew can be tackled by spraying pure white vinegar onto the area and letting it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing away with clean water and a sponge. Get rid of soap scum by mixing one part water with one part vinegar and spraying onto the area, leave for a few minutes then wipe away.

Disinfectant

Tea tree oil is nature’s disinfectant – two cups of water, three tablespoons of liquid soap, and around 30 drops of tea tree oil is enough to banish germs and keep your home clean and healthy. Spray the mixture onto work surfaces or use it to mop the floor to kill germs the natural way.

It’s January, everyone is back in work feeling glum and most people are struck down with a severe case of post-Xmas blues. After all the fun and festivities during December you are bound to feel a little blue at the turn of the new year, don’t be sad though, think of a few positives and start the year as you mean to go on.

January is great because…

There’s no more Christmas music

After what seems like an eternity of listening to ‘We wish it could be Christmas every day’ your eardrums finally get a break from all those festive tunes and this is such a welcome relief. There’s only so much Mud, Wham and Shakin Stevens you can endure before your senses go into a stupor, embrace January and count your blessings, the seasonal songs have been put on hold for 10 months and not before time.

You can finally start that diet

How much food can you possibly eat at Christmas? Quite a lot is the answer. After double servings of turkey with all the trimmings, pudding with brandy sauce… cake, yuletide log, mince pies and tins of chocolates it’s time to cut back and start to eat a little more healthier. Your body will feel the benefits of a detox and diet. That lethargic feeling will start to shift and this should lighten your mood.

You can plan a summer holiday

The cold dark nights of January are the ideal time to plan for a summer break. Leaf through holiday brochures or look online as the wind howls outside, give yourself something to look forward to later on in the year and make plans for a break in the sun. Nothing shifts the January blues quicker than planning a holiday. Book early and you’ll have plenty of time to save up.

It’s a great time to start recycling

New year. New start. This is probably the best reason to feel optimistic come January. If you have been guilty of neglecting recycling responsibilities in the past year why not embrace a new regime for 2015. Take a responsible attitude to waste, try to cut back where you can and think of positive ways to recycle unwanted goods.

You may not realise it but the festive season can actually be a large burden on the environment. The roads are much busier as people head out to the shops to buy gifts, and travel the length of the country to visit friends and family. Your household waste will increase over Christmas too as you buy lots more food, some of which may never get eaten; not to mention all the wrapping paper that will need to be disposed of on Christmas day. If you’re looking for a greener way to celebrate the holidays then read on and follow some of these tips…

Buy less presents

Christmas has become incredibly commercialised these days, with children wanting the latest toys and gadgets. However, not all of the gifts you give have to be store-bought. Even if you’re not particularly crafty there are gifts that you can make for your loved ones. Why not bake some biscuits and put together a food hamper for someone? Or if you know how to knit or sew, a hand crafted gift of this nature shows that you have put thought into creating a unique gift.

Shop in a greener way

Look out for local craft fairs and markets as these are usually frequented by local crafts people selling handmade wares. Handmade products don’t have the same negative impact on the environment as mass produced factory made products do. If you shop local the products haven’t had to travel for miles to get to you, thus reducing their carbon footprint. You’ll also be helping a local small business to make a profit in a world where supermarkets dominate most markets by selling everything so cheap.

Give battery-free gifts

Many modern toys tend to be battery powered, which means sales of batteries increase exponentially around Christmas time. Give gifts that don’t require batteries and you’ll be helping to reduce the amount of batteries that will get thrown out in January. There are plenty of battery recycling centres, but many people still throw them in with general refuse, perhaps not realising the hazard they pose to the environment.

Go easy on the lights

Many people enjoy adorning their homes with lights at Christmas in order to spread festive cheer around the neighbourhood. However, all of these lights require electricity, putting a further strain on the worlds resources, and costing money. If you must have a light display then choose LED bulbs which use less energy, and opt for a smaller presentation of lights, which can still look effective whilst reducing your energy consumption.

Class 2/Cat C Drivers and 7.5t Cat C1 required for work delivering and collecting hazardous goods throughout the UK. Experience driving class 2 Cat C or 7.5t C1 box vehicles on a multi drop basis and the ability to work overtime essential. Role involves nights away from base servicing cleaning machines for the automotive industry also delivering fresh product and collecting waste from customer site. Applicants must hold a licence to drive LGV Class 2/ Cat C or 7.5t Cat C1 and preferably hold a full ADR certificate and driver CPC card. Shift: Mon-Fri with weekend over-time required on a rota-basis. £9.00 per Hour+Bonus available. The position will be attractive to drivers with high standards for customer service and professionalism.

Think you are doing your bit for the environment simply by recycling goods? Technically you are but there’s plenty of other ways to lower your carbon footprint, just switch your mind to eco-friendly ideas.

Hazardous waste collections help. Using a waste management service like PCWS is a huge step in the right direction. And making a conscious effort to buy recycled goods from now on is a massive leap into the eco world.

Here’s a small selection of recycled products you could buy for your business. Start using these items to become a greener company.

Photocopier paper

How much copying does your business produce? Keep a tally one week and you’ll be shocked at how much paper you get through. Try to reduce the output if you can but reduce the impact you have on the environment by switching to recycled copier paper from now on.

Letterheads

The same goes for office stationery too. Letters, memos, invoices and business cards can all be printed on recycled paper. Make a special effort to source stationery through recycling suppliers, you’ll feel better and it looks good for your company.

Paper towels

Check the amount of paper towels your business uses as well. At the end of a particularly busy day in the office bet your washroom bins are overflowing with spent towels. Lessen the impact this has on the environment. Use towels made from recycled pulp.

Packaging goods

Ship consignments in packaging made from pre-used products. Cardboard materials are just as good the second time around. Once it has been treated recycled paper and card is perfect for all kinds of applications, it’s particularly effective as a packaging material.

Printer cartridges and toners

Recycle used printer cartridges when they have run dry. Even better, order recycled toners and become environmentally responsible this way. Refurbished cartridges are just as productive as original products and the quality is pretty much the same as well.

Furniture

Up-cycled or recycled furniture will save your business money and it prevents perfectly good items going to waste.

At PCWS we care about the environment. Our quality waste disposal and collection services help to reduce our nation’s impact on the environment. We understand the various needs of individual customers as well as businesses, tailoring our services to you. One of the key ways to living a greener lifestyle is to REDUCE the amount of your waste with these three top tips.

Limit Packaging

Be wise when you are buying packaged food and when you select packaging for personal use. Paper bags and tin foil can be easily recycled by most councils as opposed to cling film or plastic storage bags which are non-biodegradable. If there is the option to buy loose food (ie. fruit and vegetables) or products which are packaged in recyclable materials, choose these rather than plastic or layered wrappings.

When storing food opt for a container or recyclable wrapping to reduce your daily waste. Margarine tubs in particular make for great (free!) storage containers and can be popped easily in your freezer to keep food for longer.

Be A Green Shopper

Preparation is key when it comes to shopping. Always carry a cloth or reusable shopping bag in your main bag. This will stop the need for plastic carrier bags which are a major waste issue. Many supermarkets have bins outside the store for recycling unwanted bags.

Be smart when it comes to your groceries. Think carefully about food use-by dates and only buy what you need. Stick to your shopping list to avoid extra unwanted food or a build-up of leftovers. Methane is a particularly harmful chemical that is given off from food waste and is damaging to the environment. Any unwanted food (raw or cooked) can be composted rather than thrown directly into a rubbish bin.

Cancel Unwanted Mail

Junk mail is an issue for many people but you can find contact details online to remove your household from mailing lists. Also you could try sticking a sign to your door to inform the postman not to deliver any unwanted advertisements.

If you have subscriptions to newspapers or magazines and rarely read them, much of the same information can be found online. Many publications now even have a digital version. Not only will this reduce waste but also save you valuable pennies!

In a previous blog we looked at how harmful waste oil can be when it’s not safely recycled and finds its way into the environment.

Engine oil is insoluble and full of toxic chemicals so even small quantities of oil can have very harmful and long-lasting effects on the environment. In the UK it’s illegal to dump oil or pour it down the drain, instead you must take it to an oil recycling bank like PCWS, we’ll even pay you for recycling your oil!

In this blog we’ll look at what happens when oil is recycled.

1) Oil arrives at a processing plant and is sorted and separated by the process of distillation. The different parts of the oil are then taken to different areas of the plant.

2) The oil is then pre-treated to make it less toxic.

3) Now the water is drawn out of the oil during a process of dehydration, this makes the minerals in the oil easier to extract.

4) Next the oil goes through vacuum distillation. During this process the minerals are removed and the gasoline is recovered from the oil.

5) Finally the oil goes through another distillation process that separates out the lube oil to be refined and reused as motor oil.

Currently less than a third of all waste oil in the world is being recycled. That means that a huge proportion of it is getting lost and polluting the environment. There is a huge network of over 1000 oil recycling banks in the UK so make sure that you dispose of your responsibly and safely.

Here at Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd we are very pleased to announce our sister company ‘Pure Clean Drainage Solutions’ has just launched its brand new website – www.pcdsol.co.uk

Please take a few minutes to have a look, especially if you have a need for any ‘Drainage Solutions’!!

Our fully trained, experienced and qualified staff can provide a solution to any drainage problem at a competitive price with an outstanding service.

We can detect and solve blocked drainage problems using the latest high tech equipment.

We can solve problems with poor land drainage where gardens or land is boggy and unusable for most days of the year and especially after a heavy downpour.

We can provide a map of your drains which can be used when building work is required on your property so that improvements such as extensions can be completed without damaging the drainage system.

We can provide ways to save you money by harvesting water.

We can offer companies, households, schools and colleges maintenance service contracts where we will clean and inspect the drainage system regularly to reduce the potential cost of emergency call outs and expensive drain replacements.

We offer a no obligation FREE quote so if you have any drainage problems call us today on 0161 430 1110 or email us at sales@pcdsol.co.uk or visit our website at www.pcdsol.co.uk

Be honest, how much food do you waste on a weekly basis? The average household throws a mountain of meals away each year and this is a crying shame, it’s a squander of food and a total misuse of money as well.

Do you really need to fritter this food away though? Take a few sensible measures and you could dramatically reduce the amount of groceries you toss into the bin, cut back on excessive fodder with our sensible and savvy guide.

Tip # 1

Buy less

Sounds obvious but how much ‘extra’ food do you buy from the supermarket when you do the weekly shop? Bet there are tons of foodie goods you toss into your basket without thinking because they are on offer or seem too hard to resist, how many of these items do you actually eat though?

Make an inventory of food items from now on, work out meals for the week and stick to your shopping list. If it’s not on the list it’s not going into the basket, set this rule and this should reduce waste.

Tip # 2

Check use by dates

Go through your cupboards and the fridge, check food items for sell by and eat by dates.

Work out what needs to be eaten first and plan meals around these foodstuffs, use stuff up before it goes bad and can’t be eaten.

Tip # 3

Start being smart with leftovers

Made too much food for a meal? Don’t throw the excess away, think of imaginative meals you can make with the produce the next day.

Bubble and squeak is a brilliant use of leftover roast potatoes, chicken is good for curries, create fishcakes with leftover salmon or toss bits of pork into a noodle dish.

There are tons of leftover recipe ideas online so get creative and turn leftovers into something tasty for a change.

Tip # 4

Freeze stuff!

Do you really need to cook all that pie? Can’t you cook half that pizza and freeze the rest?

Freezing food is a good way to reduce food wastage. Eke two meals out of one item, prepare one half and save the rest for another day, just remember to keep tabs on what you have in the cold store.

Once you get into food saving mode it’s amazing at how many ways you can think of to save fresh produce, be savvy, prevent waste and save a little money at the same time.

We all do it but we shouldn’t be proud of it. Every single one of us will toss something away that could be recycled at some point in our life and that should make us sad.

How are we going to make a difference and become more sociably and environmentally responsible if we don’t take a stance and start to recycle our goods?

Let’s make a pact. Today is a new day. It’s the day we grow awareness about recycling and become eco-warriors – just think before you act and stop chucking these recyclable items away.

Mobile phones

Why throw a phone away just because it’s old? Plenty of places are willing to give you cash for that phone, it’ll be recycled and somebody else will get to benefit from the mobile.

Or you could donate the phone to a charity shop or simply give it to a friend or a relative that’s still making do with a dodgy Nokia from the late 1990s!

Whatever you do and no matter how old your phone is, recycle it instead of creating extra waste.

Clothes

How many times have you thrown old clothes away just because you went off them or they started to show a few signs of wear?

This is sacrilege.

You might think the clothes are old, or you might have grown tired of them but try to look at them from another person’s perspective.

Are they really that worn? Bet if you look at them a little closer you’ll see there’s tons of life left in them yet.

Give somebody the chance to gain benefit from the clothes, that’s the whole point of recycling and it’ll make you feel good.

Batteries

What happens when the batteries run out on the gadgets in your home? You throw them in the bin! It’s an involuntary action, you take the old batteries out, replace them with new ones and away you go, giving scant regard for the environmental impact.

Don’t let this happen.

Take your old batteries to a recycling centre and do your bit for the environment.

Light bulbs

Yep, this is another faux pas when it comes to recycling. A bulb blows, you replace it, the bulb gets tossed in the bin and you don’t think about the consequences.

Try something different next time. Take those old bulbs to recycling centres or collection centres in certain stores. Look online for the nearest place to find a light bulb recycling point.

Hopefully you’ll hear our call to action at PCWS and adopt some of our recycling suggestions.

For most, recycling is something they’re happy to do. Taking care of the environment is vitally important for future generations after all.

But there are a few people who fail to see the advantages of recycling and don’t bother doing it.

To help these people turn to the light side, we’ve put together a brief guide one why everyone should recycle.

Lessen the burden on landfills

Landfills around the world are filling at an alarming rate. And that means we’re running out of space, and fast. But landfills aren’t the only places we’re dumping our waste. Cities situated near the sea are throwing their trash into the ocean, but they can no longer support this. If everyone took the time to recycle their rubbish, we’d need 60-75% less space for garbage.

Reduce emissions

Regardless of what you think of global warming, you should still be doing your part to lessen the impact you’re having on the environment. Recycling can help reduce emissions in a big way. For example, every ton of paper that’s recycled, 17 trees are saved. And you know what trees can do? Each one can remove up to 250 pounds of CO2 from the air every year.

Lower air pollution

Rather than use raw materials, businesses that invest in using recycle materials help reduce the amount of toxins in the air.

Efficient

It takes twice as much energy to burn plastic than recycle it. Which begs the question, why do anything else other than recycle? And making paper takes around 64% more energy than recycling old paper.

In general, recycling proves to be a much more efficient option.

You can make a difference

One of the biggest reason people don’t recycle is because they think that on their own, they can’t make a difference. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Because you’re not on your own. There are millions of people recycling every day, and one more to that number is only going to be for the good of our environment!

Waste oil should always be disposed of safely as it can have a hugely negative effect on the environment. Not only is oil insoluble, but it’s also laced with toxic chemicals and takes a very long time to degrade or evaporate.

Pollution caused by oil entering the environment doesn’t clear up quickly, it only takes the smallest quantity of oil to cause long-term effects that may take many years to recover. Here are just some of the negative effects that oil pollution can have on the environment.

Water pollution

When waste oil finds its way into our waterways or the sea it contaminates the water and is extremely dangerous for the animals, insects, fish and birds that live there. It takes just one pint of oil to create a slick that will cover approximately one acre of water. An oil slick will kill all of the microscopic algae and plankton that aquatic wildlife relies on, causing disruption to the entire food chain in the area.

If oil gets onto the fur or feathers of birds or animals it can be almost impossible for them to rid themselves of the substance. Birds and animals will try to preen their feathers or wash their fur using their mouths causing them to become ill or die from ingesting the oil.

If this doesn’t kill them they could fall victim to hypothermia as oil reduces the insulating abilities of fur and feathers, making animals and birds much more vulnerable to fluctuations and decreases in the temperature.

Land pollution

Waste oil that finds its way into the land and the soil damages the environment by causing soil pollution. Soil pollution can then damage or destroy the delicate plant life that acts as the habitat for many animals. Oil in the soil reduces the oxygen supply to the micro-organisms that live in the soil and break the oil down into non-hazardous compounds meaning that the oil decomposes extremely slowly.

Air pollution

When oil is spilt or dumped rather than being disposed of safely some of the most toxic compounds in the oil will usually evaporate into the air. Once airborne these toxins can be inhaled by animals causing illness or death.

How full is your bin when the council comes to empty it every couple of weeks? If you have trouble closing the lid, there’s a good chance you are guilty of disposing of items that could be used again. We all do it but that doesn’t condone our actions. Don’t worry though, we’ve come up a few ideas in our latest blog so you can reuse stuff instead of throwing it away.

Tin foil – What’s your thought on reusing tin foil? Hopefully you’ll be eager to try because there are countless ways to reuse tin foil. One option is to use foil to clean rust off steel or chrome, just scrunch it up and start scrubbing. Another is to sharpen scissors, just fold the foil over a few times then cut through it and you sharpen the blades. Finally, you can create ‘plant shields’ with used foil, wrap it around stems to keeps bugs and insects at bay.

Freezer bags – Yep, save those freezer bags after use, simply soak them in soapy water, rinse and dry them out and use them time and time again. Why buy fresh ones when you can carry on reusing bags and save money and waste at the same?

Old margarine tubs – Plastic margarine tubs are great containers for slices of fruit, pieces of pasta, couscous, nuts and berries, in fact they make really useful lunch packs. Wash them out thoroughly first and you can open and close the lid on countless occasions and have a sealed container for a range of produce.

Egg boxes – Want to create a nifty paint palette for the kids? Try the base of an egg box and they can have tons of fun mixing and matching colours. Egg boxes are good for organising beads, nuts and screws, you can plant starter seeds in them and you can fill the plastic bases with water, pop them in the fridge and you have the perfect DIY ice tray too.

Just think before you throw waste away, is it really rubbish or could it lead another life?

We encourage the reduction of waste at PCWS and see far too many households throw out items that still have plenty of life left in them. Instead of throwing things away when they are running a little low, or opening fresh products when you think something has run out, double check and see if there are few more uses left in it. Here are some household tips for you to try.

Toothpaste – Having trouble squeezing all the toothpaste out of the tube. Roll it up from bottom to top and get as many brushes out of the paste as you can. Another tip is a cut open the tube when you think it’s empty, you’ll get a couple of more brushes at least.

Store bottle upside down – Ketchup, shampoos and any other plastic bottles benefit from being stored the wrong way up. It makes it easier to get the product out of the bottles when you store them upside down and prevents waste at the same time.

Use shower gel sparingly – Take notice of the amount of gel you use in the shower. The next time you take a shower squeeze less on your hands. Bet you get just as good a lather and use less product in the product.

Cut down on detergents – Read the manufacturer’s recommendations for detergent and totally ignore it. They want you to use more of their products quicker so you have to buy their goods sooner. Cut back on the amount of washing powder you use, your clothes will still be clean, it’ll just take you longer to get through the packet.

Use every last drop of ink – When your printer flags up a warning saying it has run out of ink ignore it, keep printing until the ink runs dry. Save wastage by only printing what you need, that will make the ink last longer too.

All you need is a bit of thought and you’ll discover plenty of handy hints to make household goods last longer.

Every home in the UK is guilty of waste, regardless of how careful you are the chances are you’ll still produce waste without realising it. Have you thought about ways to reduce the amount of waste you create though? Try our ideas and vastly reduce the amount of rubbish your home gets through in a year.

Stick to the shopping list: When you visit the supermarket for the weekly or monthly shop stop buying items you don’t need. By the essentials and steer clear of spontaneous purchases that are unlikely to be used and will probably end up in the bin.

Reduce packaging: Start buying refill packages instead of new bottles, top up old bottles with easy to recycle containers. Buy products in packaging that can be used for other purposes, aim to buy items that can be used over and again instead of purchasing single use products.

Cut down on food waste: Make sure you eat the food you buy before it goes out of date. Make smaller portions if you regularly throw food away, start clearing your plate and keep food waste to the minimum.

Re-use packaging: Clean out glass jars and use them to store pasta, screws and bolts or homemade preserve. Keep cardboard boxes to use for children’s craft projects, wash and clean yoghurt pots and keep toilet roll and kitchen rolls for the same purpose as well.

Keep shopping bags: When you empty shopping bags put them in a drawer and take them with you when you next visit the supermarket. Or buy eco bags that can be used time and time again, stop getting extra bags when you don’t need them.

All it takes is a little thought and tiny bit of imagination to cut down on the amount of waste your home produces. Think of ways you can make a difference, or feel free to try our ideas from PCWS.

This is a fresh start, time to begin anew and with renewed vigour. It’s a time to make resolutions, visualize goals, and move forward toward success, growth, and change.

It is an ideal time to take a closer look to what PCWS can do for you as we are offering a £10.00 voucher (of your choice) to the first 10 enquiries resulting in an order or site visit – so step out of your comfort zone and give us a ring, try things you have never done before and make 2014 a year that makes a difference.

Every single day your home is exposed to toxins and you breathe in harmful chemicals from a variety of household products without even giving it a second thought. We worry about these hazardous materials at PCWS and thought this blog might be of service, it highlights ways you can stamp out toxins from the home.

Take care choosing products

Start getting into the habit of checking labels on the back of products just to see how many toxic materials they contain. It’s easy to spot harmful items, they’ll have specific words on the back like caution, danger or poison. These words are good clues. Items labelled with caution for example are normally less hazardous than items that say danger or poison. Always choose the product that’s least hazardous, it’ll reduce the amount of toxins you are exposed to.

Use less liquid

Always stick to the recommended guidelines when you are using cleaning products and read the instructions carefully. Don’t be tempted to use more fluid than is necessary to achieve sparkling results, there’s a reason the instructions and recommendations are in place.

Make your own cleaning materials

If you are really worried about products containing toxins have a go at making your own cleaning materials. Plenty of home cleaning remedies can be found online and they’re just as effective as shop bought cleaners filled with toxins. Baking soda for example is a great oven cleaner, it leave sinks and toilets clean and fresh too. Or vinegar mixed with water is great for cleaning glass, just pour the mixture into a spray bottle for ease of use.

Stop using aerosols

Aerosols are one of the biggest culprits for hazardous toxins, they produce a fine mist that is easily inhaled. You can avoid this by switching to pump spray bottles instead, they’re just as easy to use but less harmful to your body.

There are various ways to reduce toxins in the home, change your routine a little and it’ll be safer for all members of the house.

Everybody at PCWS would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a very Merry and Prosperous New Year.

Head to a recycling centre with a boot full of bottles and you’ll leave feeling pretty good about yourself. There’s something satisfying about recycling, you know you’re doing a good thing and it’s rather fulfilling to take a box of empty bottles or a stash of waste cardboard to a site that specialises in waste materials. At PCWS we want you to feel satisfied about recycling materials so we wanted to point out three ways you can make a little cash from the waste you want off your site.

Cash for waste oil: Build up a large enough quantity of waste oil and we’d love to take the material off your hands. PCWS make payments for waste oil collections and we’ll give you the best price possible for your contaminated fluid. Ask us for a quote and see how much money you can make simply by getting rid of litres of waste oil.

Payment for mixed fuel waste: Waste fuels are another way to make money. Run a garage or some other business that wants to get rid of a few hundred litres of mixed fuel waste and not only will we collect it from your premises and save you the trouble of disposing the fluid, we’ll give you a great price for the contaminated waste as well. Look at the ‘Recycle Reward’ section of our site and see how much money you can get for that unwanted waste fuel mix.

Money for old batteries: Got a pile of old car batteries taking up room at your workshop? Make a little money from them and clear out clutter at the same time. We’ll pick up the batteries and pay you the market value for the waste acid products in the process. It really is money for old rope (or old batteries in this case!) and a great way to recycle whilst putting a little cash in your pocket.

There’s a strong misconception about hazardous waste in Great Britain, people natural assume waste has to be glowing green and giving off pungent aromas to be classed as a hazardous material. That’s simply not the case though, hazardous waste can be something as simple as an old car battery or a plastic bottle that used to contained synthetic oil. People need to be made aware of the materials they use on a daily basis so this article looks at how people can recycle waste and why it should be treated with a great deal of care.

How do you classify hazardous waste?

The simple way to classify hazardous waste is to think of any substance or material that could be harmful to the environment. The term ‘hazardous’ covers a multitude of materials, right now your garage could be stocked with paint tins, solvent cleaners, engine oil and brake fluids which could all be classified as hazardous. Flourescent lighting is a hazardous material so are aerosols and adhesives, the list is comprehensive and there are more potentially harmful materials lying around the average household than you think.

What’s the best way to recycle these materials?

Household recycling centres have special areas for hazardous waste so that’s one avenue to explore. Take a trip to the local tip and you’ll find containers to place old car oil, sections for electronics equipment and places to dump old batteries instead. That’s a good option if you have a small amount of hazardous waste to deal with and it ensures the material is recycled in an appropriate way. Or you could use the services of a professional hazardous waste company like our team at PCWS and let them take the waste away for you. This is a safer option and it provides you with a full waste audit trail, so you know the waste is collected safely by ADR approved vehicles and drivers, it’s transported in safety and it’s recycled or disposed of using the correct procedures.

PCWS are proud to announce that they have successfully attained OHSAS 18001:2007 certification to add to their already acquired ISO 9001 and 14001, thanks to the commitment of all the staff who have made this possible.

BS OHSAS 18001:2007 sets out the minimum requirements for occupational health and safety best practice. The standard is designed to clarify an organisation’s impact on health and safety issues, as well as help to reduce the risk of accidents and any breach in legal requirements.

Having the BS OHSAS 18001:2007 integrated into the Management System is part of PCWS’s strategy to demonstrate total commitment to being a responsible employer and to deliver top quality operational safety, environmental and quality performance, whilst managing the business in a way that protect its people and the environment.

As a result of demand from customers in the engineering industry, PCWS are pleased to announce the launch of the Coalescer in addition to their current range of cleaning machinery.

With oil contamination being the most common cause of deterioration in the effectiveness of metal working coolant, the coalescer removes this contamination prolonging the life of the coolant and reducing not only the volume of hazardous waste disposal but also the high cost of coolant replacement.

In addition to the financial benefits, the coalescer also eliminates the nasty smells associated with stagnant coolant and prevents the build up of the harmful bacteria responsible for causing dermatitis to the operator.

Unlike some alternative models, the coalescer is a mobile unit, meaning it is capable of servicing a number of tooling machines within the same workshop on a rotational basis.

The coalescer is available on an economic service contract, ensuring our engineers attend site regularly to remove any waste tramp oil and keep the machine running at optimum performance. Please call the PCWS sales team on 0161 430 1111 to enquire about pricing and the availability of a free 2 week trial.

Simon Copner, our Finance Director is not only a wiz with his figures but is also a budding athlete and has entered the Manchester 10K run for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign at the weekend.

This charity holds a special place in Simon’s heart as his Uncle Ian suffered from Muscular Dystrophy for most of his life which not only affected his life but also the quality of life for his grandparents. Read more of Simon’s Story by visiting www.Justgiving.com/Simon-Copner

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign leads the fight against muscular dystrophy and related muscle-wasting conditions in the UK. They fund world-class research, provide free information and support, give grants towards equipment and campaign to raise awareness and bring about change.

As Simon says “By doing this run I’m hoping to raise some money whilst also losing a few inches of chub! Any donations would be greatly appreciated”

We, at PCWS would like to wish Simon every success in completing the Manchester Run and achieving his fund raising target of £200.00.

Following the legislative changes introduced on 3rd December 2012 making paying for scrap metal with cash a legal offence, many bogus and illegal metal collection operations may now struggle to prosper. According to the Home Office, the changes aim to ‘remove the rewards that make metal theft such a low risk criminal enterprise for metal thieves and unscrupulous dealers’.

Fortunately, PCWS are licensed to comply with all VOSA and Environment Agency legislation and capable of dealing with metal waste and in particular the specialised area of lead acid battery collections, which fall under hazardous waste legislation. Being fully compliant, we provide all of the necessary paperwork to ensure an audit trail tracking your waste to disposal according to the waste hierarchy.

Not only is our service legal and professional but we will also pay you for your waste! You will be safe in the knowledge that you are meeting your waste disposal requirements whilst we are also helping to improve your cash flow. Collections of waste lead acid batteries can be arranged online via our waste valuation tool at https://www.pcws.co.uk/recycle-reward/ or you can call our office to arrange any scrap metal collection on 0161 430 1111.

Five arrests were made as part of an Environment Agency investigation into alleged waste crimes.

Environment Agency investigators, supported by Lancashire Police and Greater Manchester Police forces, raided three sites across the North of England to seize evidence as part of Operation Broadway.

Action is being taken to protect the livelihoods of legitimate business owners and to safeguard surrounding communities. Illegally-hoarded used tyres pose a serious fire risk and a blaze would produce toxic fumes and air pollution triggering an evacuation. The Environment Agency is working with the Lancashire Fire Service and Greater Manchester Fire Service to ensure steps are taken to make the sites safe.

Operation Broadway, which has been running for seven months, is one of the National Environmental Crime Team’s major ongoing investigations. Other cases include those involving exports of illegal waste, organised criminal networks, or industrial scale fly-tipping.

Protecting legitimate industry

Mat Crocker, Environment Agency Head of Illegal’s and Waste, said: ‘The Environment Agency will protect the legitimate recycling industry by being robust in tracking down waste criminals and bringing them to justice. As well as undercutting small businesses, waste crime risks damaging public health and the environment.’

Louis Hunt, Environment Agency Senior Investigating Officer, said: ‘The raid has been a success; this progress in Operation Broadway has only been possible with vital support from the police and fire services and intelligence shared through ‘Project Genga’ – a partnership aimed at disrupting and detecting organised crime across the region. This is an ongoing investigation and we would urge anyone with suspicions or knowledge of illegal waste activities to contact the Environment Agency on 0800 807060 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.’

Fire safety

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service’s Station Manager Jim Fowler said: “The steps taken were necessary to keep the area around the site in Blackburn safe. The illegal activities that have been carried out on the premises put the local community at risk. Fire Safety Enforcement Officers are investigating the site to establish whether there have been any breaches of the Fire Safety Order and actions will be taken against the owners if they are required.’

Waste crime deals a lethal blow to legitimate small businesses and risks major pollution incidents. Tyres can and should be recycled and made into useful new products. Legitimate businesses in the region have found their businesses scuppered by an illegal rogue trader who seemed to be undercutting their prices.

A special fund raising event has been held today at PCWS in aid of ‘Children in Need’. All staff were asked to dress in ‘Spots’ and ‘Stripes’ to raise money for ‘Pudsey’. A big ‘Thank You’ for everbody who joined in and donated money.

We are pleased to announce our new, unique ‘Recycle Reward’ page is now fully operational.

Our talented web site designers have been working around the clock to translate a ‘vision’ our innovative and forward thinking Marketing Team had of providing customers with an instant quote for their valuable waste on our web site.

We can now provide you with a quick, easy and instant quote as well as a quick and easy collection; not forgetting quick and easy MONEY.

Have a go today and share your experience by letting us know what you think.

A big ‘Thank You’ to all the staff at PCWS for their continued hard work, professionalism and support in helping us maintain a ‘flawless’ Management System in line with the requirements of the ISO 14001 (Environmental) and 9001 (Quality) Standards.

No issues or Non-conformance’s were raised and no opportunities for improvements were found in our recent audit performed by ISOQAR audit team.

Working with the police and other enforcement agencies we put waste criminals out of business and take back the profits of their crimes.

We issue permits to and regulate landfill, waste disposal, treatment and storage sites.

We’re aware of approximately 600 illegal sites across England and Wales and all high risk sites are being actively investigated.

We have dedicated national and regional teams made up of investigators, including ex-police, former detectives and forensic experts. They are leading the crackdown on waste crime. They have modern policing skills and are well equipped to tackle serious organised crime. By managing data and gathering intelligence on illegal sites we inform our approach to enforcement. We work to either bring the sites into regulation or close them down.

In 2010/11 we stopped around 1200 illegal waste sites. Approximately 170 of these were brought into regulation, the remainder were closed

Monday 23 May 2011 Over the coming months, Environment Agency Officers will be visiting companies in certain sectors of industry across Staffordshire and Wolverhampton in a bid to clamp down on the illegal disposal of hazardous waste.

Companies who produce 500kg or more hazardous waste per annum are usually required to register with the Environment Agency, in accordance with the Hazardous Waste Regulations 2005. Registration can be made online at a cost of £18 for a 12 month period. Statutory documents called consignment notes also have to be completed correctly and kept for at least three years.

Environment Agency visits will focus on hazardous waste compliance, but will also include checks on the storage of polluting materials, duty of care, and waste management practices.

The campaign will target the sectors of industry that, from experience, would benefit from our advice and guidance in order to comply. The Environment Agency can take enforcement action against those who don’t comply, including issuing Fixed Penalty Notices which is currently set at £300.

Chris Withnell, Environment Management Team Leader said: “Businesses need to take responsibility to ensure that their waste is managed correctly from production to disposal. Whilst we will support industry in achieving this, we will not hesitate to take action against those who continue to flout the rules.”

Environment Agency Wales has launched a major campaign to reduce the risk of pollution from illegal waste tyre sites.

It is currently managing the removal of 21,000 waste tyres from four illegal sites across Wales.

Sites like these not only damage the environment but also the economy.

They can be a serious fire threat to communities and the environment with smoke polluting the air, pollutants entering rivers and possible road and rail closures as well as damaging property.

And it can be an ongoing problem as tyre fires can take days or even weeks to put out.

The criminals also undercut legitimate businesses which pay the going rate to dispose of tyres legally.

And landlords who fall victim to these crimes are left with bills running into many thousands of pounds for clearing the sites.

Environment Agency Wales has moved in to clear some sites itself as they were considered to be a serious fire risk. In these cases the Agency will look to recover the costs from those responsible.

Tens of millions of waste tyres are produced in the UK every year and organised criminals are being attracted by the profits they can make.

Illegal activities include illegal storage, fly tipping and exporting waste tyres to countries that do not have the ability to deal with tyres to the same standards as the UK.

Environment Agency Wales will take enforcement action to prosecute the criminals who profit from this illegal activity.

People who produce used tyres should always ask for a waste carrier’s licence before passing on waste. If the operator cannot produce a waste carrier’s licence, it is illegal for them to move the tyres.

Pamela Burnyeat has been appointed Sales Director for Pure Clean Waste Solutions Ltd. The appointment has been made to strengthen the Companies current board of Directors.

Pamela has developed an outstanding knowledge of the business and our core values in the short time she has been working in the Waste Management Industry and she continually delivers to a high standard whether she is completing very mundane office duties to negotiating contracts with an international organisation.

Commenting on this appointment, Simon Copner, Finance Director of Pure Clean Waste Solutions said: “Although not coming from a sales background, we feel her understanding of the customers, the products and the internal processes, together with her project and man management skills are ideally suited to the role and we look forward to working with her on the board, where we are confident that her valuable input will help the company achieve the success it is undoubtedly capable of”.

We have tried hard to produce a web site that is fun, informative and interesting as well as easy to navigate. Have we achieved this?

We, at Pure Clean Waste Solutions believe our new web site provides an insight into who we are, where we are and what we do, providing all the documentation required by our customers to ensure we are what we say ‘A Competent and Experienced Waste Management Company’.

We would be very interested to hear your views, please send us your comments – good or bad!!